There does not seem to have been any bicycle racing at Canterbury before 1877 until a one mile bicycle race was introduced at the Rural Sports meeting, at which there were 35 entries, with a silver cup valued at ten guineas for the winner. The races at the sports were restricted to competitors living within 45 miles of Canterbury, which excluded Londoners.
By 1880, the Whitsun sports had become so popular that special excursion trains were run from all around the South East to Canterbury and the Whit fete attracted around 30,000 people to the town in 1880. In 1882, the Whitsun sports added a one mile tricycle race and attendance was over 15,000 the Kentish Gazette reported that there was not a single arrest for drunkenness.
On Whit Tuesday 1883, the Canterbury Cricket Club held the fete at the ground, with running races and a two miles amateur bicycle handicap race. Six thousand people took advantage of the admission charge being reduced from sixpence to four pence for the fete. George Pordage Junior, licensee of the Queen's Head, Faversham, had replaced Mr Finn as the handicapper for the sports, Pordage had organised and handicapped events at Sittingbourne and Faversham. In 1883, George Finn opened his own athletics ground at Wincheap, Canterbury and promoted sports meetings at Whitsun, which must have affected attendance at the cricket club sports.
Attendance at the Cricket ground Whitsun sports was down to 3,000 in 1885 and in 1886, Pordage was quoted as having lost £60 on the Whitsun sports. The 1886 Whit Tuesday sports was probably the last time that there was bicycle racing at the St Lawrence cricket club. George Pordage seemed to have involved himself in litigation relating to prizes in the Cricket Club sports.
The St Lawrence Cricket Ground is still in use as a first class ground and is the home of Kent County Cricket Club.